Student Director Melissa Ingle Finds Her Niche
It’s an experience that Melissa Ingle will always remember. The Huntington High School senior was the student director of last weekend’s drama club production of the Woody Allen two-act play, Don’t Drink the Water.
The teenager was intimately involved in the well-received play and worked closely with drama club faculty advisor Michael Schwendemann. “I believe the play ran extremely well, after all the hiccups that happened during rehearsal,” Ms. Ingle said. “I could never be more proud of a cast and their accomplishments on and off stage during the production.”
Ms. Ingle is no novice when it comes to directing. She was recently the director of an edited version of 15 Reasons NOT to be in a Play. Her credits also include Beauty and the Beast (director and ensemble member), The Tourist (director), and Painting.
“I originally joined Huntington High School’s drama club as a student director, in order to gain more hands on experience in directing, which I plan to pursue as a career,” Ms. Ingle said. “I continued being involved, not only for the experience, but also for the friendships I had created while in the club. However, I would have to credit my love and passion of the theatre back to the 2005 production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the first Broadway show I ever saw.”
It’s safe to say that Ms. Ingle has found her niche. “I couldn’t imagine a life away from the ‘wicked stage,’” she laughed. “Somehow theatre has sucked me in and made it impossible for me to escape. As of right now, I plan on majoring in directing in college and eventually getting my masters in it to. Eventually, if everything works out, I can see myself collaborating with other artists to create new and revolutionary work.”
“Melissa is obsessed with theatre,” Mr. Schwendemann said. “She tries to see any and every show she can get tickets for. She brings that knowledge back to the high school and uses it while working on our productions. She has taken her love of theatre to the next level by working with the Classic Stage Company in Manhattan. I not only look forward to continuing our work together at the high school, but one day hope to be directed by her as an actor. Her potential is boundless.”